Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS) · 1 Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme ... envelope...

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1 Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS) Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Parents Eligibility 1. Q: What is the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS)? A: The PEVS introduced since the 2007/08 school year mainly provides direct fee subsidy for parents of children attending nursery, lower and upper classes in local non-profit-making kindergartens under PEVS in meeting towards the tuition fee of kindergarten education for their children. 2. Q: Which kindergartens can redeem the voucher? A: Kindergartens eligible for voucher redemption must be non-profit-making kindergartens; offering local curriculum; and charging tuition fee not exceeding the fee thresholds set by the Education Bureau (EDB). 3. Q: What is a non-profit-making kindergarten? What is a private independent kindergarten? A: Kindergartens having been granted exemption from tax under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112) are recognised by the EDB as non-profit-making kindergartens, while others are Private Independent Kindergartens. 4. Q: How can parents access to the most updated information (including mode of operation) of KGs under PEVS? A: Parents can refer to (http://www.chsc.hk/kindergarten) the Profile for Kindergartens and Kindergarten-cum-Child-Care-Centres to know the mode of operation of kindergartens (i.e. the category of non-profit-making kindergarten or Private Independent Kindergarten). 5. Q: Can parent continue to use the voucher after transferring the child to a kindergarten not joining or withdrawing from PEVS? A: No. Pupil transferring to a kindergarten, other than a kindergarten joining PEVS in the year can neither receive fee subsidy under PEVS nor apply for the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme (KCFRS) in the new school.

Transcript of Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS) · 1 Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme ... envelope...

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Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS)

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Parents

Eligibility

1. Q: What is the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS)?

A: The PEVS introduced since the 2007/08 school year mainly provides

direct fee subsidy for parents of children attending nursery, lower and

upper classes in local non-profit-making kindergartens under PEVS in

meeting towards the tuition fee of kindergarten education for their

children.

2. Q: Which kindergartens can redeem the voucher?

A: Kindergartens eligible for voucher redemption must be

non-profit-making kindergartens;

offering local curriculum; and

charging tuition fee not exceeding the fee thresholds set by the

Education Bureau (EDB).

3. Q: What is a non-profit-making kindergarten? What is a private independent

kindergarten?

A: Kindergartens having been granted exemption from tax under section 88 of

the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112) are recognised by the EDB as

non-profit-making kindergartens, while others are Private Independent

Kindergartens.

4. Q: How can parents access to the most updated information (including mode

of operation) of KGs under PEVS?

A: Parents can refer to (http://www.chsc.hk/kindergarten) the Profile for

Kindergartens and Kindergarten-cum-Child-Care-Centres to know the

mode of operation of kindergartens (i.e. the category of non-profit-making

kindergarten or Private Independent Kindergarten).

5. Q: Can parent continue to use the voucher after transferring the child to a

kindergarten not joining or withdrawing from PEVS?

A: No. Pupil transferring to a kindergarten, other than a kindergarten

joining PEVS in the year can neither receive fee subsidy under PEVS nor

apply for the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme

(KCFRS) in the new school.

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6. Q: What is a local curriculum?

A: A local curriculum refers to curriculum implemented according to “Guide

to Pre-primary Curriculum” issued by the Curriculum Development

Council in 2006.

PEVS subsidy

1. Q: What is the amount of fee subsidy for PEVS?

A: The amount of fee subsidy in the 2015/16 school year is $22,510 per

student per annum.

2. Q: If my child is now studying in a non-profit-making kindergarten which

collects an annual school fee of $25,000, should I pay to the kindergarten

an amount of tuition fee which is the difference between the annual school

fee and the fee subsidy from PEVS?

A: Yes. Under PEVS, the school fee to be paid by parents should be the

difference between school fee approved to be collected by the school and

school fee subsidies from PEVS. If the school fee charged by the school is

higher than the subsidy of PEVS, parents have to pay the difference. If

the school fee charged by the school is lower than the subsidy from PEVS,

parents are not required to pay any school fee and will not be reimbursed

the difference either.

3. Q: What is included in school fee?

A: School fee should include the fee to be collected by schools for providing

education services for its pupils. It includes all the expenditure directly

relating to teaching and learning, school operation and maintenance of

education services as in the following:

(a) the necessary expenditure that relates directly to teaching and

learning like teaching materials and other consumables for teaching

activities; and

(b) the necessary expenditure that relates to the operation and

maintenance of education services like teaching and non-teaching

staff salaries, rent and rates, maintenance and depreciation of school

premises and furniture, telephone service, water and electricity

charges, etc.

4. Q: Will kindergartens collect other fees besides school fee?

A: Kindergartens may collect other fees from parents through providing sale

of school items or other paid services, such as school uniform, items used

by students, books and bus services, etc. Such fees should not be

included in the school fee. Schools should inform parents in writing

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about the sale of such items/services and parents' acquisition is entirely

voluntary.

5. Q: Has the Government taken any measures to monitor the school fees

revision of kindergartens?

A: All along, individual kindergarten will apply to revise the school fees

according to the annual income and expenditure estimates. All school fee

revision applications have to be approved by the EDB. The school fee

should include only the necessary expenses for providing education

service for its students. Kindergartens should also inform parents in

advance of all optional charge items for their reference. Moreover,

kindergartens under PEVS are required to disclose their school fees and

operation details in the Profile of Kindergartens and

Kindergarten-cum-Child Care Centres for parents’ reference.

Details for application

1. Q: How can parents apply for PEVS?

A: In order to receive fee subsidy through PEVS, parents should apply for an

assessment of eligibility for PEVS for their children in the first instance.

Children assessed to be eligible for PEVS will receive a Certificate of

Eligibility for PEVS (hereafter referred to as the ‘Voucher’). By

presenting the original of the Voucher to the local non-profit-making

kindergarten under PEVS which their children are attending, the

kindergarten will be able to redeem the voucher from the EDB and parents

will at the same time receive fee subsidy.

2. Q: Where can parents obtain the application forms?

A: Application forms and guidance notes are available at the District Offices

of the Home Affairs Department, the Post Offices, the Regional Education

Offices of the EDB and the Student Finance Office of the Working Family

and Student Financial Assistance Agency (hereafter known as “SFO”).

Application forms and related documents may also be downloaded from

the homepage of the EDB at www.edb.gov.hk/pre-primary_e or the

homepage of the SFO at http://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo.

3. Q: How should parents return the completed application forms?

A: Parents may send the duly completed application form together with

copies of necessary identity documents by post to the SFO, TSTPO Box

95161, Kowloon.

Alternatively, parents may enclose all relevant documents in a sealed

envelope marked “Application for the Pre-primary Education Voucher

Scheme (2015/16)” and drop it into the drop-in box at the SFO on 12/F,

Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road,

Kowloon.

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4. Q: When should parents return the application forms?

A: Application for PEVS for the 2015/16 school year is open starting from 2

July 2014. As the 2015/16 Voucher will be used for registration for K1

places in 2015/16, parents who wish to arrange admission of their children

to K1 classes in kindergartens under the “2015/16 K1 Admission

Arrangements” are required to apply to the SFO for “Assessment of

Eligibility for PEVS 2015/16” in July or August 2014. Eligible

student-applicant will normally be issued with a 2015/16 Voucher in

November 2014.

5. Q: How do parents know whether their applications have been received by the

SFO?

A: The SFO will issue acknowledgement to applicants by either one of the

following methods within 10 working days after receipt of the application-

(1) if the applicant has filled out the mobile phone number in the

application form, the SFO will send an “Acknowledgement of

Application” SMS to the applicants.

(2) if mobile phone number is not provided, the SFO will issue

acknowledgement by post to the applicant.

If applicants do not receive any acknowledgment from the SFO three

weeks after submitting their application forms, please call the SFO’s

24-hour hotline: 2802 2345 (the customer service officer of the 1823 will

attend to the calls on a non-stop basis) to check whether the application

has been received to avoid delay in application processing due to

wrong/unsuccessful delivery.

6. Q: When will parents receive the Voucher?

A: Upon receipt of application and all necessary information in July or

August 2014, the SFO will issue the 2015/16 Voucher to eligible

applicants by post in November 2014 under normal circumstances.

Applicants who are required to provide supplementary information will be

notified later pending their response on the provision of supplementary

information.

If applicants submit their applications in or after September 2014, the SFO

will generally take six to eight weeks to complete processing of the

application, upon receipt of the application and all necessary information.

The SFO will inform parents of the results by post. Result of the

applications and the 2015/16 Voucher will be issued to applicants in

November 2014 or later. Each eligible student will receive the Voucher

while unsuccessful applicants will be informed of the result by way of a

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notification letter. Enquiries about individual applications may be

directed to the SFO’s 24-hour hotline at 2802 2345 (the customer service

officer of the 1823 will attend to the calls on a non-stop basis).

7. Q: Do parents need to apply for PEVS on a yearly basis?

A: Under normal circumstances, the SFO will issue to each eligible child a

Voucher with a suitable validity period that will tie in with the period of

study of the child to complete the pre-primary education. Those already

issued with a Voucher need NOT re-apply for PEVS within the validity

period as specified in the Voucher. In any case, the validity period of the

Voucher will not exceed three years.

8. Q: Who will be eligible to join the 2015/16 PEVS?

A: Eligible children must be Hong Kong residents with right of abode, right

to land or valid permission to remain without any conditions of stay (other

than limit of stay) in Hong Kong.

As regards age, to tie in with the minimum age for admission to primary

one, children must be aged 2 years and 8 months or above as at 31 August

of the year of school admission to be eligible to apply for PEVS. In other

words, those attending kindergartens in the 2015/16 school year must be

aged 2 years and 8 months or above as at 31 August 2015 (i.e. born on or

before 31 December 2012). Those born between 1 January and 31

December 2013 should apply for PEVS in the 2016/17 school year.

9. Q: Are children of ethnic minorities eligible to apply for PEVS?

A: Children who are Hong Kong residents with right of abode, right to land or

valid permission to remain without any conditions of stay (other than limit

of stay) in Hong Kong, are eligible to apply for PEVS, regardless of the

ethnicity.

10. Q: What kind of documents should be submitted in applying for PEVS?

A: Applicant and his/her spouse have to provide copies of their Hong Kong

identity cards in applying for PEVS. If this is not available, applicant

and/or his/her spouse should provide copies of other valid identity

documents, e.g. copies of their valid travel documents or identity

documents issued by other authorities.

As for the child, if he/she was born in Hong Kong, the applicant should

submit a copy of the Hong Kong Birth Certificate of the child. If the

word “Established” is shown in the “Status of Permanent Resident”

column of the Birth Certificate, the applicant needs not provide other

documentary proof.

However, if the “Status of Permanent Resident” is “Not Established”, apart

from providing a copy of the Hong Kong Birth Certificate of the child (if

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applicable), the applicant should provide one of the following valid

identity documents of the child –

1. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Re-entry Permit

2. HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes (pages 1 to 3)

3. HKSAR Passport

4. Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card

5. One-way Exit Permit

6. Permit to Remain in the HKSAR (ID235B)

7. Entry Permit issued by the HKSAR Government or travel documents

issued by other countries/territories bearing a valid permission to

remain without any condition of stay (other than limit of stay) in Hong

Kong

If the identity document of the child belongs to category (6) or (7) above,

the applicant, his/her spouse and the child have to produce their own valid

travel documents (pages showing the bearer's particulars, the latest visa

label issued by the Immigration Department of HKSAR Government and

the latest “Permission to remain” stamp issued by the Immigration

Department indicating the latest period of lawful stay of the applicant,

his/her spouse and the child) to the SFO as well. Children holding visitor

visas, two-way exit permits or student visas only are not eligible to apply

for PEVS.

11. Q: Should needy pupils continue to apply for KCFRS after the

implementation of PEVS?

A: Yes. However applicants should first apply for PEVS for their child. If

the fee subsidy from PEVS is not adequate to cover the school fee, needy

families may apply for additional financial assistance under KCFRS

separately. Details about application for KCFRS (2015/16) will be

available in around July 2015. For enquiries, please visit the SFO’s

homepage at http://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo or call the SFO’s 24-hour

hotline: 2802 2345 (the customer service officer of the 1823 will attend to

the calls on a non-stop basis).

12. Q: How can parents get the fee subsidy after receiving the Voucher? How is

the fee subsidy released to parents?

A: Upon receipt of the Voucher, parents should produce its original copy to

the local non-profit-making kindergarten under PEVS their children are

attending. They will then be eligible for fee deduction at the voucher

value under PEVS. With the Voucher, the kindergarten can redeem

voucher subsidy from the EDB to subsidise parents in paying the school

fee. Parents will not receive any subsidy in cash.

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The value of the voucher will be adjusted annually. The fee subsidy

under PEVS disbursed to kindergartens by instalments will help alleviate

the financial burden of parents in paying the monthly school fee. If the

school fee is higher than the fee subsidy, parents should pay the difference

by instalments. The amount of school fee to be collected from parents

and the number of instalments for collection are specified on the Fee

Certificate, which should be posted conspicuously in the kindergarten. If

school fee is lower than the fee subsidy, the parents will not receive the

difference.

13. Q: If parents do not send their children to kindergartens after receiving the

Voucher for their children, will they receive other form of subsidy like

cash?

A: Children holding valid Voucher will be eligible for fee subsidy only when

they attend local non-profit-making kindergartens under PEVS during the

period specified in the Voucher. Their parents will not receive any form

of subsidy if their children do not attend kindergartens.

14. Q: How can an eligible kindergarten apply for redemption of the vouchers for

the children admitted?

A: Kindergartens eligible for voucher redemption should send to EDB their

applications for voucher redemption in which the particulars of pupils

admitted should be included, such as pupil's name, course attended, date of

admission and the serial number of Voucher so that EDB can validate

pupil information and calculate the amount of subsidy. EDB will redeem

annual fee subsidy to kindergartens by instalments. The details and

procedures for voucher redemption have been announced through briefings

and issue of guidelines to kindergartens, and kept in this webpage under

the heading “Points to note in: Voucher Redemption”.

15. Q: If a pupil holding Voucher is transferred from one kindergarten to another

kindergarten also joining PEVS in the year, will the pupil still be eligible

for fee subsidy? Will the two kindergartens in which the pupil has

attended be eligible for voucher redemption? If yes, how is the amount

of fee subsidy calculated for the two kindergartens?

A: If a student holding a valid Voucher is transferred during the 2015/16

school year from one kindergarten to another kindergarten joining PEVS

in the year, the student can still receive fee subsidy in the new school.

His/her parents should produce the original of the Voucher returned by the

previous school to the new school. Fresh application for PEVS is not

required. The amount of subsidy received by the two kindergartens will

be calculated on the basis of the period that the student has attended the

kindergartens during the school year. Parents should also be aware of the

school fee of the new kindergarten, particularly the school fee after

deduction of the fee subsidy under PEVS.

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If the student is transferred from one kindergarten to another kindergarten

in the middle of the month, in general, the new kindergarten attended by

the student can only collect the school fee with education voucher

redeemed in that month. However, if the student attends more than one

kindergarten in a day or attends more than one kindergarten alternatively

in a month, the kindergarten not entitled to redeem voucher can, upon such

circumstance, charge the respective parent the tuition fee without voucher

subsidy for the month.

16. Q: If children holding the Voucher discontinue their study during the validity

period of the Voucher, for example, they only attended two years’ study

within the three-year validity period of the Voucher, can the validity

period of the Voucher be deferred for 1 school year, so that they can

complete the whole three-year kindergarten education with fee subsidy

from PEVS?

A: Parents can choose to send their children holding the Voucher to

kindergarten for pre-primary education according to their circumstances

during the validity period. The Voucher is redeemable within the validity

period and will expire afterwards. For parents who arrange their children

to attend kindergartens for two school years only within the three-year

validity period, and who now wish to apply for extension of the Voucher’s

validity period, they need to provide reasonable explanation as to why

their children cannot complete kindergarten education within the validity

period of the Voucher.

In case a child drops out from a kindergarten for a whole school year due

to special family problem, the Government may approve his/her

application for deferring the validity period of his/her Voucher for 1

school year. However, the sum of school years to be involved in voucher

redemption cannot be more than 3 school years.

17. Q: If children holding the Voucher repeat their study in the same level, and

require more than 3 years’ time to complete the kindergarten programme,

will the validity period of the Voucher be extended?

A: The maximum validity period of the Voucher is three years and

redemption can only be made before the expiry of the validity period.

Application for extension of validity of the Voucher will only be

considered under very special circumstances of individual children with

proven special educational needs. In the event of such application, the

applicant must provide strong and solid proof, for example, an assessment

report issued by registered medical practitioner or professional, confirming

special educational difficulties of the child that warrant the need for the

child to pursue kindergarten education for a period longer than the normal

three years.

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18. Q: Are children currently in receipt of the Comprehensive Social Security

Assistance (CSSA) of the Social Welfare Department (SWD) eligible for

PEVS?

A: All parents on CSSA with children at the age appropriate for pre-primary

education, like other parents with pre-primary children, are required to

submit applications to the SFO for PEVS, in order to receive fee subsidy

through PEVS, if they have not been issued with the Voucher. In case

additional financial assistance on top of the subsidy from the voucher is

required, they should approach SWD direct for additional assistance under

the CSSA Scheme. For enquiries about applications for PEVS, please

call the SFO’s 24-hour hotline at 2802 2345 (the customer service officer of

the 1823 will attend to the calls on a non-stop basis). Enquiries about

applications for assistance under the CSSA Scheme for pre-primary

education may be made to the SWD’s hotline at 2343 2255.

19. Q: If children previously in receipt of CSSA cease to be eligible for the

scheme in the middle of a school year, could they apply for PEVS?

A: CSSA families with children currently attending kindergarten classes

should already have been issued with the Voucher in the school year and

are benefitting from fee subsidy under PEVS. If the family ceases to be

eligible for the CSSA in the middle of the school year, parents of the

children can apply for additional assistance under the KCFRS in case the

fee subsidy under PEVS is inadequate to cover the entire amount of school

fee and the family is financially in need. Details of application for

KCFRS in the 2015/16 school year will be announced by the SFO in

around July 2015. For enquiries, please visit the SFO’s homepage at

http://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo or call the SFO’s 24-hour hotline at

2802 2345 (the customer service officer of the 1823 will attend to the calls

on a non-stop basis).

20. Q: Will CSSA families receive less financial assistance related to pre-primary

education of their children in the 2015/16 school year as compared with

previous years?

A: As with KCFRS, grants receivable by CSSA families to cover school fees

for pre-primary education of children are subject to a fee remission ceiling.

The ceilings are adjusted annually with reference to the fees of

non-profit-making half-day and whole-day kindergartens eligible for

PEVS. Part of the subsidy from PEVS will be provided to the families by

way of direct credit from the EDB to the kindergarten the CSSA children

are attending to offset part or the entire amount of tuition fees charged by

the kindergarten, dependent on the level of the tuition fees. Additional

assistance on top of the subsidy from PEVS, where applicable, will be

provided to the parent under the CSSA Scheme for pre-primary education.

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21. Q: Should the original of the Voucher be kept by the kindergarten the student

enroll and if yes, will the kindergarten return the original to the student

concerned upon transfer?

A: Students holding the Voucher should present their original copy to the

kindergarten they enroll so that students are eligible to pay the “Fee with

Education Voucher Redeemed” and kindergartens can redeem the voucher.

The Voucher will be kept by the kindergarten the student enrolls and

kindergartens will issue an acknowledgement to parents to confirm receipt

of the Voucher.

Upon students' completion of the kindergarten courses or withdrawal, the

kindergartens will return the original copy of the Voucher to the parents.

If a student moves to another kindergarten under PEVS during the validity

period, his/her parent can submit the Voucher to the new school so that the

kindergarten can redeem the voucher.

22. Q: If pupils receiving school fee subsidy under PEVS are absent from school

for a long time, can they still be eligible for fee subsidy during the period

of absence?

A: To be entitled to receive fee subsidy for a month, eligible pupil studying in

a PEVS kindergarten must have attended kindergarten class in that month.

If the pupil is absent from kindergarten, parent should notify the

kindergarten concerned as soon as possible. Generally speaking, pupils

who are absent from school for a whole month will not be entitled to

receive the fee subsidy for that month. Notwithstanding that, discretion

may be considered on an individual case by case basis for special cases

(e.g. illness) with documentary proof.

Profile of Kindergartens and Kindergarten-cum-Child Care Centres

1. Q: What is the coverage of the KG Profile?

A: The “2013 Profile of Kindergarten and Kindergarten-cum-Child Care

Centres Profile” (KG Profile) has been published in September 2013 for

parents' reference. The Profile displays the updated list of all

kindergartens joining PEVS and the current approved school fee of all

KGs for the 2013/14 school year. Parents may browse the web version of

the KG Profile from the following website :

http://www.chsc.hk/kindergarten . The “2014 Profile of Kindergarten and

Kindergarten-cum-Child Care Centres Profile” (KG Profile) has been

scheduled to upload onto the respective website in September 2014.

If a kindergarten intends to join PEVS, it must disclose the details of the

main operation items in the KG Profile so as to enhance its operational

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transparency. The coverage of the KG Profile includes its school name,

joining PEVS or not, address, telephone number, fax number, student type,

school type, approved school fee, number and qualification of teaching

staff, etc.. These data will be drawn from the Education Bureau's

information system. The KG Profile will also be hyperlinked to the

“Quality Review Report” (applicable to kindergartens joining PEVS that

had undergone quality review). Kindergartens joining PEVS are also

required to disclose information including school facilities, curriculum

details, school characteristics, prices of major items of trading operation,

working experience and salary of teaching staff, and other operational

expenses.

2. Q: How do parents choose a kindergarten after the implementation of PEVS?

A: We suggest parents to read the KG Profile for important information of

kindergartens, including joining PEVS or not, academic qualifications of

principals and teachers, number of teachers, enrolment figures,

facilities, curriculum, and teaching and learning arrangement, etc.

Parents are advised to visit the kindergartens in person so as to find out if

the atmosphere and students' learning environment is suitable for their

children.

Kindergarten

Eligibility for Redemption of Voucher

1. Q: If the voucher value does not meet the kindergarten expenditure, can the

kindergarten collect school fee from parents?

A: All school fees should be approved by the EDB. If the voucher value

does not meet the school fee, the kindergarten can collect the difference.

2. Q: If a kindergarten offers both local and non-local curriculum, will the

kindergarten be eligible for PEVS?

A: An eligible kindergarten must be non-profit-making, offer local curriculum,

and meet the prescribed school fee limits. If a kindergarten provides both

local and non-local curriculum streams and that the operation of the two

streams is totally independent, including teachers, students or accounts,

etc., the local stream, if fulfilling all the prescribed criteria for PEVS,

should be eligible for voucher redemption.

3. Q: For a NPM KG-cum-CCC that has joined PEVS, should its CCC portion

be the approved subsidiary to the same organisation of the KG under S88

of taxes exemption of the Inland Revenue Ordinance?

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A: For a KG-cum-CCC with kindergarten and child care centre operated on

the same location, there are common areas in their registered premises and

usually, the facilities and manpower are of shared use by them and it is

difficult to divide the two services into separate entities distinctly in actual

operation. Thus, if the KG portion of a KG-cum-CCC has joined PEVS

under NPM status, the CCC portion should also be of NPM status and

exempt from taxes under S88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance as being

the approved subsidiary to the same organisation of the KG.

4. Q: If a NPM kindergarten that has joined PEVS wishes to register a child care

centre on the same kindergarten location, is it necessary for the CCC

portion to be of NPM status and exempt from taxes under S88 of the

Inland Revenue Ordinance as being the approved subsidiary to the same

organisation of the KG?

A: For a KG-cum-CCC with kindergarten and child care centre operated on

the same location, there are common areas in their registered premises and

usually, the facilities and manpower are of shared use by them and it is

difficult to divide the two services into separate entities distinctly in actual

operation. Thus, if the KG portion of a KG-cum-CCC has joined PEVS

under NPM status, the CCC portion should also be of NPM status and

exempt from taxes under S88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance as being

the approved subsidiary to the same organisation of the KG. Within 3

months from the date of registration of the CCC portion, the newly formed

KG-cum-CCC is required to submit to the Education Bureau a certified

true copy of the confirmation letter recognising the KG and CCC portion

exempt from taxes as being the approved subsidiary to the same

organisation of the KG, duly signed by the school supervisor.

5. Q: How can a private independent kindergarten change to non-profit-making

status?

A: Kindergartens having been granted exemption from tax under section 88 of

the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112) (for details, please refer to “A

Tax Guide for Charitable Institutions and Trusts of a Public Character”,

http://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/tax/ach_tgc.htm) are recognised by the

Education Bureau as non-profit-making kindergartens. Any organisation

wishing to seek exemption from tax under section 88 should submit to the

Inland Revenue Department (IRD) an application letter, a copy of the

relevant certificate of registration, a certified true copy of the governing

instrument (the Memorandum and Articles of Association in the case of a

corporation, the Trust Deed in the case of a trust or the Constitution in the

case of a society), a list of any activities which have been carried out in the

past 12 months (or less, if appropriate) and a list of activities planned for

the next 12 months and a copy of its accounts for the last financial year (if

the organisation has been established for 18 months or more). In case the

organisation has not yet been established, the required documents would

be restricted to an application letter, the draft governing instrument and the

planned activity list.

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6. Q: How long is required for a private independent kindergarten to change

from private independent to non-profit-making status?

A: Education Bureau encourages private independent kindergartens to apply

for conversion to non-profit-making status as early as possible. Inland

Revenue Department will usually grant tax exemption within eight weeks

from the date of receipt of the application, provided that there are no

identified deficiencies in the governing instrument and there is no need to

request for supplementary information. Otherwise, the time taken to

process the application will depend on the facts of each individual case and

the speed with which the applicants can rectify deficiencies and supply any

requested information.

7. Q: Is it true that application will only be accepted when there is a shortfall of

kindergarten places in the district?

A: The conversion of kindergarten status has nothing to do with the supply of

places in the district.

8. Q: Are operators of a PI KG-cum-CCC required to change both the KG

section and the CCC section to NPM status before re-applying to join the

PEVS under the status of a NPM KG? Why?

A: Yes. For a KG-cum-CCC operated on the same location, there are

common areas in their registered premises and usually facilities and

manpower are of shared use by them and, hence in actual operation, it is

difficult to divide the two services into separate entities distinctly.

Therefore, these operators should change both the KG section and the

CCC section to NPM status and become subsidiaries of the same

organization before re-applying to join PEVS.

9. Q: Is private independent kindergarten eligible for rent reimbursement after

converting to non-profit-making status?

A: According to current policy, non-profit-making kindergarten can apply for

rent reimbursement under set requirements; all new applications will be

processed according to the requirements.

Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme

1. Q: Parents who are financially in need may apply for additional financial

assistance under KCFRS when their children are enrolled in a kindergarten

eligible for PEVS. Please advise how the additional assistance under

KCFRS should be derived.

A: Upon implementation of PEVS, low-income families with children

attending nursery (K1), lower (K2) or upper (K3) classes in kindergarten

will receive assistance consisting of two parts, one part is the

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non-means-tested fee subsidy from PEVS and the other part is the

means-tested fee remission from KCFRS. If fee subsidy from PEVS is

inadequate to cover entirely the actual tuition fees charged by the

kindergarten, parents may apply for additional assistance from KCFRS.

Those passing the means test will be provided with fee remission with

reference to the level of assistance they are assessed to be eligible for.

The formula for calculating the fee remission amount is as follows –

Half-day class

monthly fee

remission

=

[Annual tuition fee or fee remission ceiling (whichever is the less)

voucher value dedicated towards fee subsidy] x level of assistance

No. of operating months of the kindergarten

Whole-day

class monthly

fee remission

=

[Annual tuition fee or fee remission

ceiling (whichever is the less) voucher

value dedicated towards fee subsidy] x

level of assistance / no. of operating

months of the kindergarten

+

[Actual monthly meal

charge or maximum

meal allowance

(whichever is the

less) x level of

assistance]

Fee remission ceilings for KCFRS for children attending nursery, lower or upper

classes in the 2014/15 school year are:

Half-day class : $26,500 per student per annum

Whole-day class: $40,500 per student per annum

Maximum meal allowance: $480 per student per month

Needy parents with children attending day crèches, day nurseries or relevant classes

in kindergarten-cum-child care centres will continue to receive fee remission

amount under KCFRS according to the formula for calculation of fee remission for

the age group 0 to 3, provided the parents can pass the means test and the social

needs test (the assistance does not involve fee subsidy from PEVS).

2. Q: How should an applicant eligible for fee subsidy under the 2015/16 PEVS

lodge an application for additional financial assistance under the KCFRS?

A: The applicant should pay attention to details of application for the KCFRS

in the 2015/16 school year to be announced by the SFO in due course.

The announcement will be made in around July 2015. For enquiries,

please visit the SFO’s homepage at http://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo or call

the SFO’s 24-hour hotline at 2802 2345 (the customer service officer of the

1823 will attend to the calls on a non-stop basis).

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Collection of Voucher by Kindergartens

1. Q: Can kindergartens which have been approved to join PEVS collect

students’ Voucher immediately when a school place has been offered to

them?

A: According to the existing guidelines on admission of new students,

kindergartens should start recruitment of nursery class (K1) students for

the next school year no earlier than November of each year. They may

collect registration fee (i.e. deposit) from children enrolled at $970 for

half-day session ($1,570 for whole-day session) or half of the monthly

tuition fee, whichever is lower. Kindergartens must refund the registration

fee to any student/child who pays the registration fee and subsequently

takes up the school place after receiving the first instalment of the school

fee from the him/her. The first instalment of the tuition fee must not be

collected before 1st August (if the new school year starts in September) or

before 1st July (if the new school year starts in August).

The above practice will remain unchanged under PEVS. With a view to

facilitating the smooth operation of the admission process of KGs and

helping parents confirm early a kindergarten place for their child, the EDB

will implement measures to enhance the admission arrangements for K1 in

KGs for the 2015/16 school year (hereafter referred as “2015/16 K1

Admission Arrangements”). Under the arrangements, if a child holding a

Voucher is offered a school place by a PEVS kindergarten or a non-PEVS

local kindergarten joining “one student not more than one place” measure

under the 2015/16 K1 Admission Arrangements and the offer is accepted,

parent should present the original copy of the Voucher of his/her child to

the kindergarten for retention. The kindergarten will issue an

acknowledgement to parent to confirm receipt of the Voucher.

The Voucher belongs to the students. Upon student’s completion of

kindergarten courses or withdrawal, the kindergarten will return the

original copy of the Voucher to parents.

Reference

EDB Circular No. 4/2014 “Collection of Application Fee and Registration

Fee, Admission of Students and Provision of Information by

Kindergartens”

Teacher Development

1. Q: Is there any course fees subsidy for serving principals and teachers to

pursue the relevant approved courses?

A: To provide further support for the professional upgrading of kindergarten

principals and teachers, the Government offers course fee reimbursement

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to principals and teachers who are serving in PEVS kindergartens and

pursuing a relevant approved course in the 2012/13 and/or 2013/14 school

year(s) and complete the course successfully on or before 31 August 2014.

They are entitled to course fee reimbursement for up to 50% of the course

fees. The deadline for application is 31 October 2014. For details,

please refer to the EDB Circular Memorandum No. 100/2013. The

“Guidance Notes on Application for Course Fee Reimbursement” and the

Claim Form have been uploaded onto the website of EDB:

(http://www.edb.gov.hk: Homepage Education System

Kindergarten Education PEVS Professional Development of

Principals and Teachers)

Quality Review

1. Q: It was mentioned in the 2006-07 Policy Address that kindergartens decided

to participate in PEVS would be inspected to assure its education quality.

What form of inspection will be conducted?

A: The Education Bureau will conduct Quality Review (QR) to assure

kindergartens’ education quality. Schools need to implement the school

self-evaluation (SSE) and compile their School Reports & Annual School

Plans. After the submission of the two documents, reviewers of the

Education Bureau will visit the schools to validate the SSE findings and

evaluate if they have met the prescribed standard. The first five years of

PEVS was completed and the Scheme will be extended beyond the

2012/13 school year. The EDB will continue to conduct QR as the

inspection mode.

2. Q: When will PEVS and the related inspection be launched? Do all

kindergartens need to undergo QR?

A: To tie in with PEVS, QR will be conducted. All kindergartens that opt to

join the Scheme need to meet the prescribed standards with reference to

the performance indicators in order to continue redeeming the voucher.

And their QR reports will also be uploaded onto the Education Bureau

homepage. For those that do not participate in the Scheme, existing

inspection mode will still be executed.

3. Q: Do kindergartens know how to evaluate their own performance?

A: After years of practice, KGs have become familiar with the concept and

basic skills of SSE. The EDB would lead KGs to further focus on the

overall planning of learning and teaching, thoroughly realising the

cycle-concept of “Planning - Implementation - Evaluation” to promote

continuous development of schools. To assist KGs to master

self-evaluation skills, the EDB had organised 50 workshops for all KGs

from January to June 2012. The revised template of “School Report” and

a “School Self-evaluation Manual” can be found at the EDB website.

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The EDB will continue to organise training and experience sharing

sessions to promote professional exchange.

May 2015